Illuminated tweezers



1954 s; G; ZUCKERMAN I 2,666,843

ILLUMINATED TWEEZERS Filed Aug. 4, 1950 FIG.4. FlG.5.

INVEN TOR. SAMUEL GEORGE ZUCKERMAN A TTORNE Y.

Patented Jan. 19, 1954 ATED TWEEZERS Samuel George Zuckerman, New York, N. 1Y., as-

signor of one-half to Cedric H. Marks, New

York, N. Y.

Application August 4, 1950, Serial No. "177,603

(Cl. 240-6A6.)

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an illuminated tool, more particularly to a. combination of flashlight and tool member of the category of tweezers 'or pincers.

In the various attempts to produce an illuminated tool of this general class, particularly where close and precise work was required, it has been found necessary to employ relatively long pincing arms where the jaws are remote from the light source, in order to permit a controlled relative coactive movement between the jaws. The increased distance reduced the illumination, and thus adversely affected the emciency of the device. Furthermore, the extended arms made the device rather bulky, and accordingly space-consuming and inconvenient for use as a pocket implement. It has also been found that in conventional devices of this category the operative movement of the arms was entirely dependent upon the control of the manual manipulation, as -a result of which frequently excessive pressures were applied between the pincing jaws.

It is accordingly primarily within the contemplation of my invention to provide a device having none of the shortcomings above mentioned, and which will constitute an eflicient, easily'operated and controlled illuminated tool. More specifically, it is an object of my invention to present a device of this category in which relatively short pincing arms are employed so that the coacting jaws would be relativelyclose to the light source, thereby permitting intense illumination by direct and unobstructed light. And in this aspect of my invention, it is a further-object to provide an illuminated tool that may readily be employed as pocket-sized tweezers.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide means for controlling the pressure between the coacting jaws, in a device of the above category, by enabling the lamp housing to limit the operative movement of the arms of the tool through predetermined distances. And it is a further object of my invention, in a special form thereof, to-enable the effectuation of different coactive pressures betweenthe jaws of the instrument.

Other objects, features and advantages willappearfromthe drawings and the descriptionfhereinafter given.

vReferring-to the drawings,

Figure l is a front elevation illustrating-one form of my invention, the dot-dash lines indicating the operative positions of the coacting arms.

Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1, a fragment ton l5.

being broken away for clarity, the contact button being shown in its circuit-closing position.

Figure 3 is a top view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view, substantially like Figure 1, but showing a modified form of my invention, the dot-dash lines indicating the retracted position of the arms, the full line representation showing the tip jaw portions in .contacting engagement, and

Figure '5 is a view like Figure 4, but showing the contacting tip portions being further compressed by the fingers of a hand.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figures 1 to '3, the flashlight member It carries a tool member I 1 near the upper portion thereof, said flashlight member including the conventional battery housing l2, the lamp housing 13 containing the lamp 1 4 therein, the contact button l5 and a compressed spring 16 disposed between and engaging the battery I! and said but- In the preferred form shown, the lamp housing is of generally cylindrical shape having an upper portion i8 that is frustro-conical, tapering generally upwardly and inwardly thereby presenting opposite convexly curved upper surfaces +9 and 20 as illustrated in Figure 1. The

particular tool member H, 'to be hereinafter dewardly extending lower portions 25, convexly curved intermediate portions 25 and upper tip portions or jaws 26. The said arms are preferably-of resilient material, so that they will normally tend to assume their normal positions shown-in full lines in Figure 1. In their said normal positions, both the said straight lowe portions 24 and the intermediate portions -"25 are spaced outwardly from the adjacent lateral wall portions of housing l3; and the upper jaws 2B are, whenthe arms are in said normal position,

in spaced relation. This is clearly indicated in Figure 51.

In operatively employing this device, the circuit is operatively closedthroughithebattery 17 and lamp M, and then pressure isapplied bythe fingers in the direction of arrows A of Figure 1. This will cause the arms 22 and 23 to move inwardly towards each other to the dot-dash positions shown in Figure 1. In this position the intermediate portions 25 of the arms are in contact with the convex portions l9 and 20 of the upper portion l8 of the lamp housing l3, the laws 26 being in operative engagement. The arrangement is hence such that a predetermined operative movement is efiectuated by the compression of arms 22 and 23, such movement being limited by portions l9 and 20; and said latter portions l9 and 20 serve the further purpose of providing an extended anchorage for the intermediate portions 25 of the arm 22 and 23. In other words, the support extends from initial contact points 2! of the housing 13 to the upper terminals 28 thereof. Because of this extended support surface, the jaws 26 are adequately supported and maintained in their predetermined contacting positions shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1.

It is thus possible, with this arrangement, to enable close and precise operations to be efiectuated with the jaws 26, since they can be made to come into contact, with the desired pressure. This pressure is maintained as long as the fingers are in compressing engagement with the arms in the vicinity indicated by arrows A. Furthermore, since the arms follow the contour of lamp housing l3, as above described, effective contacting can be obtained between the jaws, with concise control of the pincing operation, without the necessity of having long and unwieldy jaws. In other words, the aforesaid curvature of arms 22 and 23 in conformity with the contour of housing I 3 enables the jaw portions 26 to be relatively close to the lamp I4. Hence, it is possible to have an unobstructed and intense light adjacent jaws 26 to facilitate the pincing operation.

It is preferred that the retainer portion 2| of tool member ll be proportioned for a slide fit over the outer surface of battery housing E2, to enable a ready assembly. And in this connection it will be observed that all that need be done is to slip the tool member over the lamp housing 13, until intermediate portions 25 of the arms engage portions l 9 and 20 of the housing, whereafter the tool member may be slightly elevated to bring the arms in the position indicated in Figure 1.

Any conventional switch means may be employed, although the illustrated switch button i has been found to be satisfactory. This button contains an intermediate recess 29 which will permit the button to be tilted, as shown in Figure 2, so that the wall 33 of bottom aperture 3| of battery housing I2 will enter said recess. When this occurs (upon an upward pushing of the button) the button will be retained in its circuit-closing position, against the resilient action of spring I 6, thereby keeping the circuit closed through the lamp while the arm elements 22 and 23 are being manually manipulated. To open the circuit through the lamp, all that is necessary is the straightening of button I5 so that it is in axial alignment with the housing l2, whereupon the button will slip downwardly through aperture 3| into the position shown in Figure 1, to open the circuit through the lamp.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a somewhat modified form of my invention in which the arms 22a and 23a, extending upwardly from retaining ring 2m of the tool member Ha, are of slightly different configuration than the arms 22 and 23 of the form first above described. In this form of my 4 invention, when pressure upon the arms is applied in the direction of arrows B, contact is made only at the points of tangency 32 between intermediate portions a of the arms and the adjacent opposite convex portions of the lamp housing [3a. In this position, the tips or jaws 26a are in contact, as illustrated in Figure 4. In this setting, said jaws are capable of a pincing operation. However, in the event it is desired to obtain a firmer compressing contact between the jaw portions of the arms, the fingers are applied to the upper concave portions 33 of said arms, as illustrated in Figure 5, thereby providing an extended area of contact between the jaw portions 28a. In this position, there is also more extended contact between the arms and the housing, the areas of contact extending substantially between points 34 and 35 of the lamp housing |3a (Figure 5). The arrangement is hence such that there are, broadly speaking, two operative positions of the arms, one in which the jaws are in relatively light mutual contact and the arms are supported by the lamp housing at reduced areas of contact or fulcrum, and the other in which the jaws are in extended contact, and the arms are operatively supported by extended areas of the lamp housing.

In the above description, the invention has been disclosed merely by way of example and in preferred manner; but obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or manner of practicing same, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claim.

I claim:

In an illuminated tool of the class having a flashlight structure with a lamp housing and a support therefor, the housing having an upper portion tapering generally upwardly and inwardly, a pincer tool member mounted on said structure and having two arms on opposite sides of said housing, said arms having lower and intermediate portions flanking said lamp housing and upper coacting jaw portions extending thereabove and terminating in mutually engageable tips, said arms being shaped to follow generally the contour of the outer surface of the housing, said upper jaw portions converging towards each other and being normally yieldably maintained with their said uppermost tips in adjacent spaced relation, whereby there will be an unobstructed light passageway between said lamp housing and the space between said tips, a portion of each arm being normally spaced from the adjacent portion of the housing, said portions of the arms being engageable with the housing upon the operative application of opposite inward pressures on the said arms, said arms being so proportioned that when they are in operative engagement with the housing the said tips are in pressing engagement with each other.

SAMUEL GEORGE ZUCKERMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,919,024: Abbotts July 18, 1933 2,081,540 Hosselet May 25, 1937 2,171,304 Gelardin Aug. 29, 1939 2,272,902 Bible Feb. 10, 1942 2,376,4e8 Neugass May 22, 1945 

